Gillian Anderson: Juggling motherhood and career has made me good at dropping out of character

Gillian Anderson has said being a young working mother helped her “compartmentalise” - meaning she is good at coming out of character when not on set.

The actor was cast as Special Agent Dana Scully in mystery drama X Files in 1993 - and had her first child Piper Maru the following year aged 26 following her marriage to Clyde Klotz, an X-Files assistant art director.

She said juggling work on an “intense” television series like X Files with the struggles of motherhood helped her professional life.

Gillian Anderson in Harper’s Bazaar

Richard Phibbs

The actor, who also recently starred in Netflix series Sex Education, told Harper’s Bazaar: “I’m pretty good at compartmentalising in my life, period. I think I learnt that quite young, being a young mother, in a really intense TV series where it was either full on on-set, or I was in my trailer having to shut the door and no longer be that person but be Mum.”

Anderson, who has won an Emmy and a Golden Globe, is starring in the upcoming series of The Crown, playing the late former prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Gillian Anderson in Harper’s Bazaar

Harper’s Bazaar/Richard Phibbs

The 52-year-old said she removed her personal opinions about Thatcher’s politics in order to portray her.

“I had to get to a point where it’s nothing to do with my opinions of her policies, of her actions. It is only about her as a human being and her motivation as a politician and as a mother.”

She said it was not her role as an actor to speak in public about politics.

“I feel like I have an opportunity as somebody in the public eye to draw attention to things, but I don’t comment, I don’t offer my opinion on social media on a regular basis, because it’s not my world. I’m an actor, I’m not a politician, I’m not a social worker.”

Harper’s Bazaar

Richard Phibbs

The show is written by Peter Morgan - who also wrote Frost/Nixon and The Queen.

Anderson said she had a productive working relationship with Morgan.

“For our own sanity, and actually for the benefit of the relationship, we had very clear boundaries. I am not going to comment on the script, but you are not allowed to comment on the performance!”

Anderson was this month honoured as one of Harper’s Bazaar’s Women of the Year, sponsored by Armani Beauty. All winners will be interviewed in the upcoming edition of the magazine.  

Read the full interview in the December issue of Harper’s Bazaar, on sale from 5 November 2020.